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Two Paths, One Goal: Estate Planning for Single & Married Women
Meet Sarah & Michelle: Two Different Stories, One Common Need
Sarah and Michelle have been best friends since college. They’ve always shared everything—from career advice to Netflix passwords—but when it comes to estate planning, their paths look very different.
Sarah is single, independent, and focused on building her career and wealth. She doesn’t have kids yet, but she’s working toward financial stability.
Michelle is married with two children. Her focus is on protecting her family’s future, ensuring that her kids are cared for and that her husband wouldn’t struggle if anything happened to her.
At brunch one weekend, they started discussing estate planning. Sarah shrugged, thinking it wasn’t urgent. Michelle assumed her husband automatically “handled it.”
Their assumptions? Dead wrong.
As they sipped their coffee, they realized—estate planning wasn’t just for the wealthy or the elderly. It was for them.
Sarah’s Estate Planning Checklist: The Single Woman’s Guide
Sarah assumed that, as a single woman, she didn’t have enough assets to need an estate plan. But her attorney quickly corrected that:
“Without a plan, the courts will decide what happens to your assets, medical care, and even who makes decisions for you.”
💡 Here’s what Sarah needed:
✅ A Will – To ensure her savings, home, and belongings went to the right people instead of being decided by the courts.
✅ A Durable Power of Attorney – If she became incapacitated, someone she trusted would need legal authority to manage her finances.
✅ A Healthcare Proxy – Without this, hospitals could assign decision-making to a distant relative or someone she wouldn’t choose.
✅ Beneficiary Designations – She had life insurance through work and a 401(k), but hadn’t checked who was listed as her beneficiary in years.
✅ A Trust (Optional) – If she wanted more control over her assets or privacy, she could place them in a revocable living trust.
Sarah felt empowered. Even though she wasn’t married or had kids, she still had assets and a future worth protecting.
Michelle’s Estate Planning Checklist: The Married Woman’s Plan
Michelle assumed that because she was married, her husband would automatically inherit everything. But there were major gaps in her plan.
💡 Here’s what Michelle needed:
✅ A Will (for Both Spouses) – Without a will, the courts—not Michelle—would decide who got her share of their assets.
✅ Guardianship Plan for Children – If something happened to both Michelle and her husband, the state could determine where her kids went. Naming a guardian now prevented that.
✅ Power of Attorney – Michelle needed to ensure her husband (or a trusted backup) could handle finances if she was incapacitated.
✅ Healthcare Directives – Just like Sarah, Michelle needed to have her medical wishes legally documented.
✅ A Trust (Optional, But Powerful) – Since she had young children, a trust ensured they wouldn’t inherit everything at 18 but instead over time for college, life expenses, or emergencies.
By the end of brunch, both Sarah and Michelle realized the importance of estate planning—regardless of their relationship status.
They made a promise to each other: to stop procrastinating and start planning.
No Matter Your Status—It’s Time to Plan
Are you more like Sarah (single, independent, and building wealth) or Michelle (married, focused on protecting her family)?
Either way, an estate plan is essential.
✅ Single women need control over their assets & medical decisions.
✅ Married women need to protect their spouse & children from legal complications.
Don’t leave your legacy up to chance. Take control today.
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